Harpy inkwell. Gilded bronze. Neoclassical period. 18th-19th century. Grand Tour.

15.5 x 11.5 x 12 cm

This beautiful gilded bronze inkwell belongs to the neoclassical taste that developed between the end of the 18th century and the first decades of the following one.

Supported by three harpies, with breasts and large wings, it stands on three slender, feral feet.

Cupid on the cusp rotates on himself. All the decorative details—palmettes, garlands, and mythological figures—recall a dreamy and composed classicism.

The gilding is well preserved and shows off the very high quality of the chisel work to the fullest.

It probably rested on a marble base which has since been lost.